Better transit comes with price

GO Train

Want better transit and less congestion in the GTA? Then be prepared to pay.
That was one of the key messages GO Transit president Gary McNeil tried to hammer home during a roundtable discussion at the Newmarket Community Centre yesterday. About 50 people attended the Metrolinx-sponsored meeting to share their thoughts on the various projects included in the Big Move regional transportation plan and also express their views on the various proposals to pay for them.
“No one wants to pay, I’m realistic about that, but we will have to pay if we want to improve our system,” Mr. McNeil told the audience. “That’s the sad reality.”
During his opening remarks, he pointed to cities such as New York, London and Paris, among others, that employ various taxes, tolls and levies to fund their transportation systems on top of traditional fares. Transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area is predominantly funded through a combination of fares and municipal property taxes, he explained.
The initial wave of projects in the Big Move plan cost a combined $16 billion and included funding for the Viva rapidways, Spadina Subway expansion into Vaughan and various GO Transit service improvements. The second wave is anticipated to cost $34 billion and includes money for the Yonge Subway extension into Richmond Hill, all-day, two-way GO train service and increased funding for roads, regional highways and walking and cycling infrastructure.
“The Big Move is not just about transit; it’s about transportation,” Mr. McNeil said. “We need to improve our transit, yes, but we also need to improve our roads because both cars and buses use them.”
While most of the projects included in the initial phase of the Big Move were largely funded by provincial dollars, that won’t likely be possible for round two, Mr. McNeil said, noting the province is nearing its debt ceiling.
As such, Metrolinx will need to get creative and explore congestion charges, new corporate taxes, parking fees, road tolls and other revenue generators, just as the rest of the world has done, to pay for the next wave of projects, he said.
Doing nothing isn’t an option, Mr. McNeil said, as the average commute time in the GTAH stands at 82 minutes and will only get worse with time. It’s already among the worst in North America, he continued.
“If we don’t do something about this, the average commute will be 109 minutes,” Mr. McNeil said. “That’s like a movie, a bad movie, where you’re stuck in your car and you can’t get anywhere.”
It’s estimated congestion costs the economy about $6 billion per year in lost time and productivity, according to figures presented by Metrolinx. That number is projected to double in 30 years unless something is done today.